Sanitary receptacle



May 5, 1942. e. w. SOUTHARD SANITARY RECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 19, 1939 9W 01 0? if. $0ai/1ara Patented May 5, 1 942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SANITARY RECEPTACLE George W. Southard, Hoquiam, Wash. Application October 19, 1939, Serial No. 300,283

Claims. (01. 220-87) This invention relates to receptacles and more particularly to a receptacle especially designed for the disposal of sanitary napkins and the like.

Th object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of the character described for receiving and disinfecting discarded sanitary napkins .and similar articles until destroyed or otherwise disposed of.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle having a pivoted cover and provided with an atomizing device actuated by the closing movement of the cover to spray a disinfectant onto the sanitary napkins or other articles deposited within said receptacle.

A further object is to provide the receptacle with a vertically disposed baffle plate or partition operatively connected with the pivoted cover and movable automatically to an inclined position beneath the atomizer when the cover is opened and in a position parallel to the adjacent wall of the receptacle when the cover is closed.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this'class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sanitary receptacle embodying the present invention, the upper portion of the receptacle being broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the cover in closed position, and

Figure 3 is a similar View showing the cover in open position.

The improved device forming the subjectmatter of the present invention comprises a receptacle 5 preferably rectangular in shape, as shown, and of any desired height and width, said receptacle being provided with a pivoted cover 6, the hinge of which'is provided with a spring 1 for normally and yieldably holding said cover in closed position.

Disposed within the receptacle near the upper end thereof is a compartment 8 adapted to receive an atomizer 9 for spraying liquid disinfectant onto the sanitary napkins or other articles deposited within the receptacle. The atomizer 9 is of standard construction and includes a spring-pressed plunger l0 and discharge nozzle I l, the terminal of which projects through an opening I2 in the adjacent wall of the compartment 8, as shown.

to the rear wall of the receptacle is a lever l5 which extends bver and in alinement with the plunger ll) of the atomizer. Mounted on the inner face of the cover 6 is an actuating member l6 provided with a cam face I! which, when the.

cover is moved to closed position, bears against the free end of the lever l5 and causes the lever to press the plunger l0 downwardly so as to force the disinfectant fluid out through the nozzle ll onto the articles deposited within said receptacle. Disposed within the receptacle is a movable baflle plate or partition l8 having its upper end pivotally mounted at I9 on the inner face of the front wall of the receptacle and secured to the upper portion of said partition is one end of a coiled spring 20, the other end of which is connected at 2! to the lower face of the cover, as best shownin Figure 3 of the drawing. The bafile plate or partition 8 is normally disposed parallel with .the front wall of the receptacle but when the cover 6 is moved to open position, the spring 20 will cause the partition to assume an inclined position beneath the atomizer 9 and thus cut off communication between the upper and lower portions of the receptacle and at the same time form an inclined guide for directingthe napkins or other articles into a drawer 22 adapted to receive the same. The drawer 22 is slidably mounted on the lower portion of the receptacle and is provided with a handle 23 so as to permit ready removal of said drawer when desired.

When the cover is moved to open position, the spring 20 will move the baffle plate or partition I8 laterally beneath the atomizer 9 and in which position the sanitary napkins or other articles are deposited thereon. As soon as the cover is released, the spring I will automatically close the same. As the cover closes, the cam face I! of the actuating member IE will bear against the adjacent end of "the lever l5 and depress the plunger of the atomizer to spray a quantity of disinfectant fluid onto the sanitary napkins and at the same time tension on the spring 20 being relieved the partition I8 will return to its initial position in engagement with the inner face of the front wall of the receptacle, thereby allowing the sterilized napkins to fall into the drawer 22 to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of after suflicient napkins have been deposited therein. When the cover 6 is again opened, the spring surrounding the plunger l0 will automatically elevate the free end of the lever 15 to a horizontal position and in which position it will again be press the plunger and spray the articles in the receptacle with disinfectant liquid on a subsequent closing movement of said cover.

The device is simple and compact in construction and provides an eflicient sanitary receptacle for the purpose described.

It will, of course, be understood that the receptacles may be made in different sizes and shapes and constructed of any suitable material without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

Having'thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having a pivoted cover, an atomizer arranged within the receptacle and including a vertically disposed spring-pressed plunger and a discharge nozzle, a horizontal lever pivotally mounted within the receptacle above the atomizer and in alinement with the plunger, and an actuating member secured to the lower surface of the cover and having a cam face disposed in alinement with the lever and adapted to bear against the free end of said lever for depressing the plunger of the atomizer and spraying disinfectant liquid within the receptacle when the cover is moved to closed position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having a pivoted spring-pressed cover, an atomizer disposed within the upper portion of the receptacle and including a vertically disposed-spring-pressed plunger and a discharge nozzle, 9. horizontal lever pivotally mounted on the inner wall of the receptacle above the atomizer and in vertical alinement with the plunger, a partition pivotally mounted within the receptacle and normally disposed near one wall thereof, a spring forming a connection between the partition and said cover, and an actuating cam secured to the lower face of the cover in vertical alinement with the lever and adapted to depress the free end of said lever and actuate the plunger of the atomizer to spray a disinfectant within the receptacle when the cover is moved to closed position, said spring serving to move the partition to a position beneath. the atomizer I when the cover is moved to open position.

3. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle having a spring-pressed cover, an

' disposed substantially parallel to the adjacent wall of the receptacle when the cover is in closed position, a spring forming a connection between the partition and said cover, and an actuating cam mounted on the lower face of the cover in vertical alinement with the lever and adapted to depress the free end of said lever and operate the spring plunger of the atomizer to spray disinfectant liquid within the receptacle, said spring serving to move the partition to an inclined position beneath the atomizer when the cover is in open position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a. receptacle having a pivoted cover, a compartment disposed within the upper portion of the receptacle and having one wallthereof slotted, an atomizing device housed within the compartment and including a vertically disposed springpressed plunger and a discharge nozzle normally projecting through the slot in the wall of said compartment, a horizontally disposed lever pivotally mounted within the receptacle above the atomizing device and in alinement with the plunger, a partition pivotally connected with the inner face of the front wall of the receptacle near said cover, a spring forming a connection between the partition and cover, and an actuating member secured to the lower face of the cover and having a cam disposed in alinement with the lever and adapted to engage the free end of said horizontally disposed lever arranged above and' in alinement with the atomizer and pivoted to the receptacle at a point opposite the pivot of the cover, means secured to the lower face of the cover and disposed in alinement with the lever for depressing the plunger to discharge a spray of disinfectant liquid within the receptacle when the cover is moved to closed Position, a partition pivotally mounted within the receptacle and normally disposed substantially parallel with one wall thereof, and a spring forming a connection between the partition and said cover for moving said partition to an inclined position below the atomizer when the cover is moved to open position.

GEORGE W. SOUTHARD. 

